Home | Services | Clinician Background | Client Rights | Workbook | Career Info | Location | Contact Info | Blog
 

Client Rights, Confidentiality, and Disclosure

The following outline your rights in counseling. If at any time you should have questions, please ask.

Choosing Treatment

You have a right to freely choose your treatment program with informed knowledge of your options. We can discuss other treatment options with you to help you make the best choice for you. Our commitment is to help you get the best treatment possible.

Competency

Each clinician is licensed by their respective Board. Please see the clinician background for individual competencies.

Why We Need Accurate Information from You

This information I collect is needed for appropriate and accurate treatment in counseling. We can only help in so far as we have accurate information. If information is hidden, not revealed or available, our abilities as a counselor are reduced or limited. We do not share this information with others without your written permission or unless otherwise mandated by law (see below).

The Importance of Confidentiality

Trust is a major component of counseling. In our opinion, trust builds safety and safety can lead to tremendous therapeutic change. This trust is facilitated by knowing that any information you share will not be passed onto other people. We treat confidentiality very seriously and make a commitment not to share information with others. One example of how we protect confidentiality is the following scenario. The Twin-City metropolitan area is actually a small city in many ways. We are amazed at how frequently we run into a client in a public setting. This may create a situation that is uncomfortable or difficult for you. Our approach is to follow your lead in any potential public interaction. This is one way I try to avoid placing you in a situation that may lead to unintentional disclosure.

Mandated Release of Information

We are required by state and federal law to release information regarding your treatment in the following cases:
  • Any suspected abuse to a child or vulnerable adult
  • Significant and real potential harm to yourself
  • Significant and real potential harm to another person
  • When a court order requires the release of information
  • For national security and intelligence activities.
  • Activities regarding the safety of the President of the United States.
In these cases, we must report what we know to the appropriate persons, including the possibility of reports to law enforcement agencies.

About Privacy

Most of the information we collect about you will be classified as "private." That means you can see it, others cannot. Sometimes demographic materials will be grouped together to describe my typical client. In these cases, you will not be identified in any way. In a very few cases, information we collect about you is classified "confidential." Confidential data is not open to anyone (not even you) except by the government agencies that need it. This includes data about adoption, civil or criminal investigations, some medical data, and the names of persons who report child or vulnerable adult abuse.

Access by you

You can see all private records about yourself (or your childrens' -see section on minors). To see your file, please talk to us and ask. Usually this is done very quickly, but can take up to ten days. You may also allow anyone else to see your records. In these cases, a signed release of information form is necessary (you may be responsible for the cost of making copies). Also, in these cases, we will try to contact you for verbal verification.

Concerning Minors

As a minor, your parents or guardians have access to any private information in the file. State law gives them the right to control this information. As a parent, while you have full rights to the information of a minor, it is often difficult in the counseling process when you exercise these rights. The Minor may be hesitant to reveal information when they know you may see such information. It is sometimes helpful for the guardian and minor to meet together to talk about revealing information in the files.

Your Rights Regarding Information

  • You have the right to refuse to give any information. However, without it we may not be able to provide appropriate treatment.
  • You have the right to add your own explanation of anything you object to in your records that we have created.
  • You have the right to request a list of the disclosures we make regarding your records without your written approval.

Client Bill of Rights

Consumers of psychological services offered by psychologists licensed by the State of Minnesota have the right to:
  • Expect that a psychologist has met the minimal qualifications of training and expertise required by state law.
  • Expect considerate and respectful treatment.
  • Examine public records maintained by the Board of Psychology which contain the credentials of a psychologist
  • Be informed of the cost of professional services before receiving the services.
  • Privacy as defined by rule and law.
  • Be free from being the object of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual/affectional orientation, or other unlawful category while receiving psychological services.
  • Be free from mental, sexual, or physical abuse while receiving psychological services.
  • Obtain a copy of the Rules of Conduct from the State Register and Public Documents Division of the Deparment of Administration, 117 University Ave, St. Paul, MN 55155
  • Report complaints to the Board of Psychology, 2829 University Ave W, #500, Minneapolis, MN 55404; phone (612) 617-2230.

Termination of Treatment

At all times you have the right to end treatment, unless such treatment has been court ordered. If termination is due to dissatisfaction with treatment, please talk it over with us to resolve the difficulty.

Grievance Procedures

If you have any questions about, or dissatisfaction with, the services provided to you, we ask you to follow these steps:
  • Discuss your concerns with your therapist to see if they can be resolved. If this does not work, please contact The Commissioner of the Department of Human Services identified above.
  • If you feel I have acted unethically, this should be reported to your therapist's licensing board.

Email: request@sexualhealthinstitute.org
Phone: 612.872.1500       Fax: 612.872.2205
1409 Willow Street, Suite 400       Minneapolis, MN 55403